Quickie re: NHS glasses

[r3dh3d]

Having a difference of opinion (to put it nicely ) with our optician.

DD1 has SLD etc. and tends to rip her glasses off and break them. When we first bought the glasses, the optician said that "limitless" repairs were covered by the NHS for free these days. They were very helpful/sympathetic with DD1's SN and did a lot of fiddling around on the computer to get us a spare pair at the lowest price by putting all sorts of discounts we weren't entitled to. So I thought they were lovely people and we were very lucky....

Since then, she's chewed a few bits off that were simple to replace and cost us nothing. But the other day she bust a hinge and the repair exceeded some notional figure and we had to pay £7 difference. Now she's bust it again and they're saying the frame will have to be replaced and we have to pay them £20. And they've started making comments about how often we bring the glasses in for repair.

Is this right? Originally they said all repairs were free but that NHS might query the charges after repeated repairs but we just needed to fill a form in to explain she was disabled and that would be OK. I'm confused. And out of pocket!

Quick advice gratefully received as I have to go into town this afternoon to "discuss" .

Hi r3dh3d
My son is 5 and we have had numerous visits to our optitions and have not had to pay once. I remember when they broke about 4 times in a month and it was so embarrasing taking them in all the time. This was anything from the nose pad braking to the arm completely braking off. Still we did not have to pay, just sign the form.
A short while ago, I asked them about getting a second pair to use. They said I would have to pay for these, or..........and this is the best bit..........come in next week and say you have 'lost' your glasses and they have to replace them (nudge nudge wink wink). So this we did and we now have two pairs.
While it is very embarrasing to keep asking for repairs, we have never been asked for money on any occassion!!!
I think you should phone round other optitions locally and ask if they offer unlimmited repairs for national health glasses and explain your situation.
Sounds fishy to me!!
Good luck

I would try a different opticians. dd has cp and her glasses take a bashing. we get 2 pairs FREE and all repairs have been free. they even replaced on pair after they ended up in a lake.

Thanks guys.

I talked to the opticians and I think got to the bottom of it.....

When we first got the glasses, there were no NHS glasses that would fit her. She needs the loops round the ears and they only stocked one sort in her size. So they're not NHS frames though the opticians kindly waived the additional charge because they couldn't supply NHS frames.

Since then, the guy we dealt with (the manager) has moved on. If we need a repair, they have to buy in a non-NHS frame part for us and for non-NHS frames the NHS gives you a "voucher" towards repairs for an amount they think is reasonable. (Predictably, it isn't.) I think the old manager would just have absorbed that extra cost (on the basis it's their fault they couldn't supply an NHS frame) but the new one won't.

Unofficially, the opticians have advised us to look around at other opticians when her prescription changes to see if they do a suitable frame on the NHS because we could be forking out like this every week - and we really don't have the money.

do you have a Collinsons In you are?
dd had her first glasses from there(free) and they had those ear things on them.

Particulary at first, Ellie went through loads of glasses!

we even lost a pair down the pembrokeshire coast somewhere

We go to a small local optitions and they are lovely, they know her by name, chat to her and we have never had to pay for anything

My friends little girl has the loop arms round her ears and she doesn't pay for them either

I would maybe go round a few other places

(where do all the lost glasses go?)